A5080283333- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Nerve injury and regeneration
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Molecular Biology Techniques and Applications
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- CAR-T cell therapy research
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Phosphodiesterase function and regulation
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Nuclear Receptors and Signaling
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
- T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
Vical (United States)
2000-2015
University of California, San Diego
2012-2013
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
1994
University of Southern California
1989
University of Miami
1986-1988
Psychiatry Baselland
1984-1985
Direct injection of nonviral, covalently closed circular plasmid DNA into muscle results in expression the myofiber cells. We have examined firefly luciferase constructs injected adult murine skeletal muscle. Considerable variation enzyme was noted among with different regulatory elements, batches same construct, and similar transfection experiments performed at times. This minimized by using single performing comparable sets concurrently. A quantitative experimental protocol defined for...
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and NGF are both expressed by neurons in the hippocampus. In previous studies, it has been demonstrated that BDNF mRNA levels regulated neuronal activity. Upregulation is predominantly glutamate (NMDA non-NMDA receptors); downregulation, GABA system (Zafra et al., 1990, 1991). cultures of rat hippocampus, potassium depolarization kainic acid-mediated increases were eliminated a dose-dependent manner calcium channel blocker nifedipine. Conversely,...
In previous work, the direct injection of 50 micrograms a plasmid DNA vector encoding firefly luciferase (VR1205) into murine quadriceps muscle produced an average 6.5 ng per at 7 days postinjection. this report, various elements VR1205 were modified to increase gene expression levels or eliminate undesired viral sequences. Expression vectors was then compared using intramuscular assay. general, modifications promoter, enhancer, and intronic sequences either decreased had no effect. However,...
To characterize the role of NGF in development forebrain cholinergic neurons, we established primary cell culture systems to grow these cells under controlled vitro conditions. Cultures dissociated were prepared from septal area fetal (E17) rats, which contained part group basal neurons. treated either with (100 ng/ml) or an antiserum against (1:500 dilution). assess influence non- neuronal cells, 2 types high-density cultures prepared: mixed neuronal-glial and pure cultures. Cholinergic...
Effective gene therapy for lung tissue requires the use of efficient vehicles to deliver interest into cells. When plasmid DNA encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) was administered intranasally BALB/c mice without carrier lipids, CAT activity detected in mouse extracts. Plasmid delivered with optimally formulated commercially available transfection reagents expressed up 10-fold more than observed naked alone. Liposome formulations consisting...
Electroporation has been reported to facilitate naked DNA gene transfer in skeletal muscle, but also implicated the pathogenesis of electrical injuries. To assess effects electroporation on transfer, mouse quadriceps muscles were injected with luciferase reporter plasmid VR1255 and electroporated caliper electrodes. Intramuscular expression was increased 10- 70-fold by electroporation, depending dose injection volume used. In absence injection, resulted rapid elevations serum creatine...
Abstract In the central nervous system, nerve growth factor (NGF) affects basal forebrain cholinergic neurons during early development and in adult mammalian brain. These are located medial septum, diagonal band of Broca, nucleus basalis Meynert. While effects NGF on septal well documented, only little is known about influence basalis. addition to neurons, there interneurons corpus striatum, which form an anatomically functionally distinct population neurons. striatal have been reported...
We studied how stimulation of protein kinase C and cAMP-dependent kinases affect the development mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in primary cell cultures derived from fetal rats at embryonic day E14. The effects compounds which activate these second messenger systems were compared to those basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) insulin-like I (IGF-I). In cultures, there was a continuous loss neurons. Despite this decline number, neurotransmitter uptake per neuron increased with time,...
Administration of gangliosides has been reported to stimulate regeneration motoneurons and central dopaminergic cholinergic neurons. To shed light on the mechanism by which mediate effects neurons, we studied their actions cultures cells dissociated from septal area fetal rat brains. These contain which, in vivo, give rise septo-hippocampal pathway. Gangliosides produced prominent changes morphological appearance cultures. In contrast control cultures, contained many process-bearing a...
Abstract Fibroblast growth factor‐5 (FGF‐5) is a member of the fibroblast factor gene family, which has signal sequence characteristic secretory proteins. FGF‐5 mRNA previously been shown to be present in adult mouse brain. Here we demonstrate that recombinant neurotrophic activity on cultured rat septal cholinergic and raphe serotonergic neurons. The effect serotonin uptake was stronger than evoked with either brain‐derived or neurotrophin‐3. also increased choline acetyltransferase...
The neuropathology of Parkinson's disease is characterized by the degeneration dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra. We have recently shown that activation protein kinase A improves survival culture and, furthermore, protects them from neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) vitro. now analysed potential phosphodiesterase inhibitors to increase cAMP levels neurons, improve their and protect toxicity 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) vivo. Increasing...
Preclinical studies were conducted in mice and rabbits to evaluate biodistribution/persistence potential integration of plasmid DNA (pDNA) after intramuscular administration a poloxamer-formulated pDNAbased vaccine, VCL-CT01, encoding gB, pp65, IE1 human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) immunogens. Tissue distribution vaccinated with VCL-CT01 was compared that phosphate- buffered saline (PBS)-formulated control pDNA vaccine. Residual copy number (PCN), selected tissues collected on days 3, 30, 60...